Book Reviews

Catching up

I am back! I was away on holidays for about 10 days (I bet you didn’t even realise I was gone. Yeah, I am spry) and let me tell you. This blogging thing? SO ADDICTIVE. I had little access to internet as I went to smaller towns in Portugal (my ancestral land) and at points I felt like a caged animal, wanting to roar my frustration to the wind. I am hoping some of you will understand what I mean. Hopefully I do not need therapy. Not yet.

Anyways, I read quite a few books (who would have thought that going from England to Portugal would take 12 freaking hours in between airport transfers, flight, delays, etc. Gee.) and finally watched The Dark Knight and X Files. I loved the former with every fibre of my being (a 10 out of a 10) and was not overly impressed with the latter, I am afraid, despite of all the amazing shipping goodies thrown at me.

So which books did I read?

Dangerous Lover came highly recommended by Katie (babs) and as usual, I was not disappointed. This is more like an erotica book and I happily surprised that there was actually an interesting plot and a huge, cute (ok, so cute many not be the most appropriate work to describe the hero, since you know, he was a tall, hard, killing machine who talked very little) , teddy bear of a hero who loved the heroine since FOREVER and would do anything for her. I felt it ended rather abruptly though, and I wanted more of a reconciliation between them. But all in all, a very good read. 6 out of 10.

Just before I left, I read my first Marjorie Liu book, The Wild Road and became an instant fan. So I got the first book of the Dirk and Steele series, Tiger Eye and unfortunately it wasn’t near as good as The Wild Road. I felt nothing for the main couple, and there was one bit that totally grossed me out when the heroine was having sex with the hero in his tiger form. Ew. On the other hand, I am still very much intrigued by the concept of the Dirk and Steele agency and I quite like Liu’s style so I will carry on. I did hear that the first one is not as good as the others. 5 out of 10

I have seen reviews of Bet Me and I was curious to read it. I got a copy out of the library and read it in one go. It reminded me quite a lot of Bridget Jones’ diary but it was infinitely better, I thought. Funny, light, delightful, heart warming. I still remember some parts with tenderness after days I read it. Perfect summer reading. 7 out of 10

I read a few more which will be reviewed in full soon. But because I am EEEEEEEEEEvil, I would like to tease you about this:

One of the best romance novels of the year. It is heart-warming , sweet, hot and on top of everything it has Sebastian St Vincent on top of his form being as debauched as ever. His scene with Evie was amazing. Plus fantastic little scenes between all the wallflowers and a Lillian-Marcus fight/reconciliation that was PURE unadultered Lisa Kleypas at her best and the new hero Rafe Bowman ? Drool worthy.

Now I am off to catch up with your blogs!

15 Comments

  • Christine
    August 3, 2008 at 7:32 am

    Welcome home, Ana! 🙂

  • pidute
    August 3, 2008 at 8:53 am

    hey welcome back!
    I didn’t like Tigers eyes ,i read it a wile ago and i didn’t like it , just nothing special and i was very disappointed with Bet me (not as good as every one said).

  • li
    August 3, 2008 at 9:53 am

    Hey, welcome back!

    I didn’t care for “Tiger Eye” either, so you loving the latest Liu, but not liking TE much is now making me think I should give her books another go. Maybe I’ll try the newest one.

    And yes, that was EVIL – am sooooo jealous you’ve read the Kleypas.

  • Ana
    August 3, 2008 at 10:00 am

    Thanks girls!

    LOL Li, I actually thought about you and I was going to email to say that you should give her another go!

    Pidute, I REALLY like Bet Me..I was smiling like a fool reading it.

  • Patty
    August 3, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    Welcome back- I enjoy your blog. The problem I have with all of the interesting blogs is that you all have such great book recommendations; I can’t find enough time to read all of the terrific books. I find myself reading across many different genres now, something I’m really enjoying. “Bet Me” is one of my favorite Crusie stories, but “Faking It” and her collaboration with Bob Mayer “Agnes and the Hitman” are my all-time favorites (might be time for a re-read of “Agnes”!) They are both a hoot. I’ve never read a Kleypas historical. Is there a good starting place? Thanks!

  • Ana
    August 3, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    Welcome and thanks Patty!

    Ok, so Lisa Kleypas historicals. I started with her gambler’s books: Then Came You and Dreaming of You. Dreaming of You has one of the best romance heroes EVER, one Derek Craven. Sigh.

    But you could also start with her Wallflowers series (4 books), so you can be prepared for the Wallflower Christmas release later this year. Book one is Secrets of a Summer Night, followed by It Happened One Autumn, Devil in Winter (one of my top 5 romance novels of all time, and my top romance hero, Sebastian St Vincent) and then Scandal in Spring. All of these are really good, you can do no wrong!

  • Patty
    August 3, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Thanks, Ana. I checked Lisa’s web-site and she said Derek Craven is one of her favorite characters, too. And now I have to add Sebastian St. Vincent to my list of characters to check out! LOL! I haven’t read an historical novel in a long time. It’s helpful that I’m a teacher and I have summers off from the classroom. However, this summer, between reading blogs and reading books, I’ve not gotten much done around my house!

  • Kate
    August 3, 2008 at 3:58 pm

    Patty, I loved Agnes and the Hitman! I do think my favorite Crusie may still be Bet Me, though. Faking It was pretty good (she always has such fantastic secondary characters) but how the art gallery was run drove me a little bit nuts! I know, I know…fiction…

    Welcome back, Ana!

  • Bridget Locke
    August 3, 2008 at 4:12 pm

    Welcome Home! 🙂 Sounds like you kept yourself busy.

    Totally jealous that you got the new Wallflowers book though. Can’t wait to read it.

  • Bridget Locke
    August 3, 2008 at 4:14 pm

    I also *heart* Derek Craven, but my favorite Lisa Kleypas hero is Simon Hunt from Secrets of a Summer's Night. For one thing, he's hot and for another? He totally gets Annabelle & that's sexy to me. 🙂

  • kmont
    August 4, 2008 at 6:16 am

    Wow, sex with a tiger, eh? This is something I’ve wondered about in my sick mind, that of bestiality – a no no with MANY publishing houses (although I see that stipulation more in the erotica lines). Because we have a lot of shifter romances out there and I wondered how it would read when surely an author “went there” one day. Would the fact that he’s half human matter and make it OK? I read one werewolf romance one time where the couple almost went there and it felt OK somehow. I know, sick I tell ya, sick, lol. Oh well, some will work, others will not.

    Good to have you back, Thea! Very cool that you got to visit Portugal though. 😉

  • kmont
    August 4, 2008 at 6:17 am

    Freak! Sorry, I really meant Thea, I did! Stupid brain, stupid!

  • kmont
    August 4, 2008 at 6:18 am

    Crap, did it again. Something is wrong today. This is embarassing, lol! Making it worse. Ana, I knew it was you that went to Portugal, I swear.

    *slinks off in search of new brain*

  • Ana
    August 4, 2008 at 6:21 am

    LOL Dude you should not make me laugh like this while I am at work!
    With the Tiger thing, it really did not work for me….that was ORAL SEX involved and …no. Just. no. *shudders*

  • kmont
    August 4, 2008 at 9:56 am

    ORAL tiger sex? Ow, ow, ow! Sandpaper tongue! Oh lord, there go the sick yet hilarious scenarios through my head.

    I shall spare you all and go snicker somewhere else. Oooowwwwww….

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